A Touch of the Blues...part 5
by vangiekitty
Summary: Hank and Rogue make a startling discovery


Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Men, and I make no money from these stories.

A Touch of the Blues part 5 by vangiekitty

Continued from part 4...

Hank was heading for the lab, meaning to check on a few experiments before he turned in, when passing by Rogues door, he heard the sound of soft weeping.The sound was quiet, yet so full of despair and hopelessness that it caught at his heart.He hesitated.Surely it was none of his business, Rogue wouldn't want anyone intruding, would she?But he was a friend -- her friend and nothing more.He blushed at the thoughts he had been entertaining earlier and it almost kept him from knocking at her door.But he thought, 

"I'm still her friend no matter what.I'm not going to let my own ridiculous, unrequited feelings keep me from trying to help her!"Hank squared his shoulders and knocked at her door.The weeping sounds stopped immediately, as if cut off with a knife.

"Rogue?"He asked, tentatively.

"Hank?"The voice that answered was equally tentative.

"May I come in?"He asked.

"Sure... I guess."

"I don't mean to intrude," he explained, stepping into the room."But I heard some sounds and thought you might be in distress..."

He broke off to look around.He had never been in Rogues room before and was intrigued to see what it looked like.On one end of the room was a large picture window with a window seat underneath it.Across the seat dozens of what looked like colorful, handmade crocheted pillows were scattered.The other side of the room was dominated by a raised dais on which sat a queen sized Princess canopy bed with a duvet of antique lace and climbing roses pattern.Instead of conventional curtains hanging down from the bars above the bed, long gauzy pieces of material draped gracefully to the floor.Within the silky cocoon, Hank could see Rogue huddled with something clutched tightly to her chest.Her knees were drawn up to her chin, and her eyes were red from weeping.To Hank, she looked like a frightened little girl in need of comfort.Slowly, he approached her bed.

"I hope you don't mind," he began again.

"Course not, Sugah.You're always welcome.C'mon."She patted the bed to indicate where he should sit.

A bit awkwardly, Hank drew one of the flimsy gauze bed hangings aside and sat gingerly on Rogues bed, which only creaked a little in protest at his bulk.The furniture at the X-Men mansion tended to be built strong -- it had to be to survive.

"Would you like to talk about it, my dear?"He asked gently, searching her tear stained face for the reason she had been weeping.

"Aw, Hank.I don't know."

He hazarded a guess, " Was it the movie?It upset you because it was too frightening?"

"Oh, it was frightenin' all right, Sugah. But not the way ya mean."

"Well then tell me, please Rogue.I feel terrible for recommending a movie that upset you so dreadfully."He laid one large blue hand on her gloved arm and the small kindness seem to undo her.

"Aw... Hank."She started to cry again."You'll think I'm silly.It's just that I feel like that man in the movie.Like I'm a ghost.I can't touch anyone, can't change anything..."

"My dear, that is so untrue!You have had a profound effect on me and you have touched me deeply."

"Have I?Did I?"She smiled weakly."That's nice ta hear, Hank."

"Absolutely, my dear.Your friendship has meant so much to me these last few weeks."

Rogues face crumpled.

"Yeah, a friend.That's all I am to ya, Hank.All I can ever be."She buried her face in her arms and sobbed.Hank was shocked--his brain felt numb.Was it possible?Was Rogue saying what he thought she was saying?Did she want more than just his friendship?

"Rogue, do I understand you correctly?Are you wishing for a... Romantic relationship between us?"

"Yeah, ya big lug!Course I am!I was flirtin' with ya tonight, didn't ya get the message?"

Hank blushed as he remembered his thoughts and feelings earlier that evening when Rogues head had been resting on his knee.

"Ah -- yes, actually.Loud and clear.But I thought I must be mistaken."

Rogue rolled her eyes in exasperation."What do I have ta do, Sugah?Get up and start performin' a strip tease?"

Hank blushed even harder."No -- ah -- that will not be necessary my dear.I -- ah," he cleared his throat, trying to think of how to continue.

"You're flattered but ya don't feel the same."Rogue finished for him."That's all right, Sugah -- I understand." Her face twisted sorrowfully.

"No, Rogue, you don't understand."Hank said firmly."Please listen to me before you start assuming things."

Rogue looked up and her face brightened a little."I'm listenin'."She said simply.

"First of all, I had no idea you even felt this way until tonight.In fact, I have been..." he fumbled for words."Enamored of you ever since the first night we went for coffee together.The first night we really talked."

Rogues face was positively glowing."Our first midnight coffee session!"

"Indeed.I have been fighting my feelings ever since then."Hank explained.

"Fightin' em?Why Sugah, what ever for?"

"I thought you still had feelings for Gambit."Rogue made a face."And later," he continued, "I, well… I just wasn't sure if you could care for someone with my... physical attributes."

"Physical attributes?"Rogue looked surprised."Hank, Sugah, I thought ya were all over that by now.After all, ya dated Trish..."

"Trish was more interested in getting an inside scoop than anything else.I just happened to be a handy way to get it."

"Oh Hank, no!"

Even to Hank's ears, he sounded bitter."Oh yes, it's the absolute truth.When I finally realized it, we had a serious disagreement and then..." he shrugged."Well, how can you end a relationship that was barely there to begin with?Trish tolerated me as she tolerated my appearance, only so long as it benefited herself."

"Well I do a lot more than tolerate your appearance, Hank.I like the way ya look." She affirmed gently.

"How can you say that, Rogue?Hank's eyes were sad."I'm covered in blue fur, for God's sake."

"Uh-huh.I haven't forgotten.A very special color blue as I recall."Rogue opened her arms to let him see the object she had been clutching to her.It was an old, ragged remnant of a blue velvet blanket.The color matched Hank's fur exactly.

Hank's eyes softened."Would this be the illustrious Bilbo blanket?"He inquired with a smile.

"The one and only."Rogue assured him."I've always loved this shade of blue.Very soothing.But listen Hank," she looked up into his eyes to gather his full attention."I told ya I had a little thing for ya when I first met ya, but I didn't tell ya the whole story."

"There's more?"

"Uh-huh.Let's see, how can I explain this? Well, did I ever tell youwhat my favorite fairy tale was as a kid?"

"Uh- Sleeping Beauty?"

"Nope."

"Rumplestilskin?"

Rogue laughed."Wrong again, Sugah.It was Beauty and the Beast, of course!"

"And why was that?"Hank asked quietly.

"Don't know.Maybe cause my Daddy was the big muscular, hairy guy.I sorta grew up thinkin' that's how men were s'posed ta be."

"So you pictured yourself as the beautiful Princess, rescuing the poor beast from his sad enchantment and turning him back into a normal man again?"Hank's eyes were hard, but Rogue didn't seem to notice.

"Not at all, Sugah.I mean, of course I was the beautiful princess, that goes without sayin'."Her eyes were dreamy."But in my fantasies, the fairy tale just went on and on and never came to an end."She frowned thoughtfully.

"Because the ending was the one part I didn't understand.The one part of the story I didn't get, you know?"

Hank nodded but looked puzzled.

"Cause Beauty has this gorgeous, big, hairy beast all to herself in an empty castle.Why would she want ta turn him into an ordinary, borin' man?"She sighed and smiled up at him."When I was a little girl, I used to pretend to myself that it never ended -- That Beauty and the Beast just kept wandering around that big empty castle having adventures for ever and never changin'.I must've read that story every night for three years."

"Precocious, weren't you?"Hank said dryly, but with a grin.

"You don't know the half of it, Sugah. I guess I've always loved fairy tales."She paused."Then when I was 12, I discovered Robin McKinley's book, Beauty.Have ya read it?"

"In fact I did.After my... failed experiment, I read many such books.I considered them somewhat therapeutic.As I recall, McKinley humanizes the beast most charmingly, does she not?"

"Yes Sugah, she does.It's a lovely book.Anyway," Rogue smiled."At about the same time, I also got hold of the Sleeping Beauty series by Anne Rice."

Hank tisked disapprovingly."You were 12 at the time?That was much too young to be reading that series, it's extremely dark erotica!"

"I know," Rogue shrugged elegantly and blushed a little, laying her cheek on her knees, which were still pulled up to her chin."It was kinda an accident, really.I was readin' most anything that looked like a fairy tale at that age.My, was I surprised when I got those books home!"

Hank raised his eyebrows."I'm sure."

"Anyway," Rogue hesitated."The two stories... kinda got mixed up in my mind.I started ta have a strange, recurring dream.It frightened me, but it intrigued me too.In it, I was Beauty, and it also involved the Beast; I still have it sometimes.Ya catchin' my drift here, Hank?"

"I believe so."Hanks voice was carefully neutral.

"When I first met you..." Rogue paused."Well, it was almost too strange.I hadn't had the dream in quite a long while.But the sight of you... well- it all came rushin' back.I didn't know what ta think or how ta feel.I wanted ta know you better, but I was scared -- intimidated."She sighed."I still don't know if I was more relieved or disappointed when it became clear you weren't available.You were always busy with one experiment or another.And then, there was Trish..." her voice trailed away.

"And for you there was Gambit."

She nodded, acknowledging the truth of it."Between one thing in another, I never got ta know ya -- really know ya, till a few weeks ago.And look what I've been missin'."She smiled."I could just kick myself!"

"As could I." Hank said was feeling."Kick myself I mean, not you my dear."He smiled back at her and drew closer to her on the bed, looking deeply into her vivid green eyes.Her cheek was still pillowed on her knees, and she glanced up at him.It was a charming little sideways glance that pierced his heart.

"Oh, Rogue."He breathed."Knowing this, understanding that you feel for me as I feel for you... How I wish... that is- I just wish that I could **kiss** you right now."

Rogue smiled, but it was a smile filled with an infinite depth of sadness.

"I know Sugah.I wish ya could too."Her eyes squeeze shut and a single tear rolled slowly down one creamy, flushed cheek.

Hank was immediately sorry.Why had he said such as stupid thing?Of course he could never kiss her... But the sight of that one tear was too much.Without thinking what he was doing, Hank, the analytical scientist, acted purely out of emotion instead of logic.He didn't stop to weigh the consequences, he simply acted on his feelings and reaching out, he cupped Rogue's cheek in one large palm and brushed away the single tear with his thumb.

It was a gesture of friendship and more than friendship.It was a gesture of hope, and understanding, and sympathy.It was a gesture of love and it should have killed him... except it didn't.

Rogue eyes flew open to acknowledge the truth of the situation.Hank's large, warm palm still cupped her cheek, and... and nothing was happening!Hank was OK!He wasn't dying, and she wasn't absorbing his thoughts, emotions or life force.

They froze for a moment, unable to grasp the situation.At last, Rogue spoke,

"Hank... you touched me!"

Continued in Part 6


End file.
